Planet Normal

As co-pilot Pearson circles Heathrow waiting for clearance to land, Liam is joined by Planet Normal Cosmonaut Supreme, Baroness Claire Fox. There's been much madness to dissect since the rocket's last orbit. How is the new Labour government handling the Summer chaos? Claire is frustrated that the Tory leadership contest seems to be leaving the country without a strong opposition and that it might...

As summer comes to a close on Planet Normal, in this the third and final of the three part best of the rocket series, our co-pilots take a look back at some of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right thinking from the year so far. In March, the co-pilots interviewed author and filmmaker Martin Durkin about his latest film Climate The Movie - The Cold Truth. The film takes issue with wh...

Summer continues on Planet Normal! In this, the second of the three part best of the rocket series, our co-pilots take a look back at some of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right thinking from the year so far. In January Liam interviewed legendary former frontman of The Undertones, turned water campaigner, Feargal Sharkey. As well as discussing the state of the UK’s waterways Liam a...

Joining Liam for a very special Planet Normal exclusive interview is the front-runner in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch. Fresh from announcing her bid, the MP for North West Essex joins Liam to discuss immigration, trade deals and how she thinks she can take the party forwards as leader of the opposition. Also joining them is former Tory MP for Bournemouth Co...

It’s summer on Planet Normal so in this the first of the three part best of the rocket series, our co-pilots take a look back at some of their most explosive voyages on the rocket of right thinking from the year so far. Back in January, just after the realities of the Post Office Scandal had come to the fore courtesy of a hard-hitting ITV drama, Allison spoke to an anonymous insider from Fujitsu,...

The rocket blasts off for a final voyage before its summer break but there’s no shortage of madness to navigate before then. What did your co-pilots make of Keir Starmer’s first outing at Prime Minister’s Questions? Not to mention the political developments from across the pond.. Allison isn’t impressed with the front runners in the Conservative party leadership contest. Nor the Labour party’s two...

Joining Liam in the cockpit this week for a very special extended interview is Professor Matthew Goodwin.  As the rocket blasts into a new political era with a Labour government at the helm, Matthew explains why he thinks Keir Starmer’s party could be unpopular very quickly, and debates with Liam how the Conservative Party could pull back a vital share of voters that they lost to Reform UK. O...

After a Labour landslide win (as predicted by your co-pilots) the rocket orbits into a new political galaxy, but is it the same old madness? Allison delivers some hard truths to the Conservative party whom she thinks deserve ‘oblivion’ should they fail to come to the ‘correct conclusion’ on their new leader. Whereas Liam thinks the Tories need to take their time when deciding their next leader and...

This episode of Planet Normal was recorded on Wednesday the 3rd July before the polls opened for the general election. Six weeks of election campaigning have come to an end and what a campaign it has been, with no shortage of political gaffes on either side of the Channel as the first round of voting in France has National Rally, formerly headed by Marine LePen, on the cusp of power and Macron’s g...

The temperature is heating up on the rocket this week, as the whole country basks in a heatwave but is the election shade being thrown threatening to spoil your co-pilots fun in the sun? Allison spills the beans on her trip to the campaign trail with Reform UK Leader, Nigel Farage and claims that, in her view, a vote for the party isn’t a wasted one. Whilst Liam is worried about the potential judi...

With the rocket hurtling towards the election, what do its inhabitants make of the latest manifesto madness? In light of the latest inflation figures Liam thinks the Conservatives need to be more honest about tax hikes, whilst Allison thinks that Reform’s policies are what should have been in the Conservative Party Manifesto, and might help pull back some disillusioned voters. Also joining your co...

In this episode of Planet Normal, your co-pilots strap into the rocket with Leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage. In a true rocket grilling Nigel responds to people saying his party is racist, reveals how many votes he expects to win at the upcoming election, and if he really would stand down candidates in Tory marginal seats. Also on this episode with Labour heading for a big majority, what do your...

Whilst co-pilot Pearson takes a well earned break from the rocket Liam is joined by a temporary co-pilot and fellow right thinker, Baroness Claire Fox. Political fur is flying in wake of the first election television debate,  but who do Claire and Liam think came out on top? Claire thinks that the competing parties are underestimating the needs of the electorate in their mandate mat...

This special anniversary episode was recorded live in front of an audience of Planet Normal citizens, from Cadogan Hall in London. The beloved rocket gains a few extra passengers this week as our third Planet Normal live event takes off! Your co-pilots give their thoughts on the upcoming election alongside some very special guests. The first revered stowaway on the rocket this week is Lord David F...

**Today's episode was recorded before the General Election announcement** There’s not one but two scandals to comment on this week as both the infected blood and Post office inquiries are front and centre. And both co-pilots share impassioned views about the latest ‘cacophony of woe’ coming from both. Allison thinks that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s response was unacceptable in the face of a...

In an exclusive interview with co-pilot Pearson, Academy Award winning actor Kevin Spacey straps into the rocket to give his response to the recent Channel 4 documentary with allegations about inappropriate sexual conduct. Elsewhere Rishi Sunak’s political plight is as unpredictable as the British weather. But what do your co-pilots make of his latest stream of policies? Allison ponders whether th...

With the local elections across England and Wales all over, who were the real winners and losers? And did the Tories really get hammered? Only your co-pilots have the answers. Liam ponders whether the Tory Party can hold it together long enough to get some sort of bounce back from potential impending economic uplifts. Whilst Allison thinks Tory mutiny is no longer a threat and that the plotters ha...

Election fever has reached the rocket this week as the co-pilots await the results from local polling stations up and down the country.   And there’s nothing short of a tsunami of politics in Scotland.  Allison thinks the progressive Left are finally being confronted by the consequences of their policies in light of First Minister, Humza Yousaf’s resignation. Whilst Liam thinks...

Strapping into the rocket this week and calling for the resignation of Met Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, is former Home Secretary and Conservative MP Suella Braverman. She also explains why she thinks it’s time we left the European Convention of Human Rights and her exasperation at her party's 'scramble for the centre-ground'. Elsewhere on the podcast, Allison is convinced the passing of t...

The Battle of Brussels With co-pilot Pearson making a triumphant return to the rocket this week there’s much madness to discuss including the Cass report, what the Office of Budget Responsibility is really about and some drama from Brussels… Joining your co-pilots to share what really happened at the explosive National Conservative Conference in Brussels is MP Miriam Cates, who explains why the ev...

Baroness Claire Fox straps into the cockpit this week to take the helm and tackle the madness alongside co-pilot Halligan. And there's no shortage of febrile pre-election news on the horizon. In light of the publication of the highly anticipated Cass Report, Baroness Fox celebrates the media’s balanced reaction. Liam ponders whether Reform UK could reinvigorate the debate about proportio...

There’s a lot of madness orbiting the rocket this week as your co-pilots tackle the latest ghastly news from the NHS and author JK Rowling's reaction to the latest SNP legislation, not to mention the redesign of our Union Jack for the Olympics. Allison thinks we could be on the way to a ‘backdoor blasphemy’ law in light of Scotland's hate crime bill. Whilst Liam agrees and is disappointed with the...

New immigration figures will be causing another headache for Rishi Sunak and strapping into the cockpit this week is Former Minister for Immigration Robert Jenrick, who reveals the events in the lead up to his resignation and how the PM refused to acknowledge the issue of immigration.   As the Tory meltdown continues with more MP’s putting themselves up for hire, could it all be over for the...

With potential Conservative Party mutiny still bubbling away, there’s a rare moment of disagreement in the Planet Normal cockpit this week over a potential Tory leadership change Liam is convinced that a leadership will make an inevitable  election loss much worse, whilst Allison is adamant that with a new ‘proper’ Tory party leader would persuade Conservative voters not to stay home. An...

There is no rest in the political news cycle this week, but are recent events enough to trigger a political earthquake or just another tremor? In light of Lee Anderson jumping ship from the Tory Party to Reform UK, Allison thinks the Conservatives won't hold onto a single Red Wall seat won in the 2019 election, and worries that everything in our country has a 'social...